Three Grosse Pointe Teens had bounty put on their heads for vandalism by Gilbert.

**MikeyinBrooklyn** · July-04-14, 02:03 AM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

His practice is, if I buy it, give me a tax abatement. Then, after the wealth is transferred from the poorest to my pockets, I'll handle the public realm too, unaccountably, with all that sweet money you essentially gave me.

Call it philanthropitalism.

Are the poor paying income taxes and current on their property taxes? Nothing is being "taken from the poor" because they don't have anything to give, logically. Thus, poverty. Please let me know the names and addresses of the poor who are having the hard-earned cash in their wallet handed to Dan Gilbert and I will gladly reimburse them.

That having been said, I am not for tax breaks/credits/abatements for anyone. There should just be very low rates that everyone has to pay. That is both fairer and makes the collection of revenue more stable and less economically destructive [[although all taxation is at least a little harmful).

**Danny** · July-04-14, 08:54 AM

That will be a lessen to all riff-raffs in Detroit and suburbs. Don't mess with Gilberttown Detroit buildings. Dan Gilbert will get you!

**Scottathew** · July-04-14, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

I'm sure Joe Sixpack at 7 mile/Gratiot or Dexter/Davison wouldn't have a fear of snitching either if they had the wealth/power/connections Dan Gilbert has...

I agree. But none-the-less, should we not prosecute this case because we feel bad about the neighborhoods?

That's what the back and forth here has been about. Some people are upset that people who damaged Gilbert's property are being brought to justice, because he's too rich, too white, and lives in the suburbs, he doesn't need or deserve justice in the eyes of some.

**313WX** · July-04-14, 12:11 PM

Originally Posted by 48307

I agree. But none-the-less, should we not prosecute this case because we feel bad about the neighborhoods?

That's what the back and forth here has been about. Some people are upset that people who damaged Gilbert's property are being brought to justice, because he's too rich, too white, and lives in the suburbs, he doesn't need or deserve justice in the eyes of some.

For the record, I'm completely in favor of these girls being prosecuted beyond the fullest extent.

That said, I also don't endorse the blaming of those who have legitimate fears of snitching to the police for the crime problems in the neighborhoods.

**Dan Wesson** · July-05-14, 05:59 AM

Girls just try'in to have fun and get the adrenalin pumping...

**Honky Tonk** · July-05-14, 06:37 AM

Originally Posted by Dan Wesson

Girls just try'in to have fun and get the adrenalin pumping...

I have a few other suggestions for them that won't leave someone's private property defaced.

**Dan Wesson** · July-05-14, 06:47 AM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

I have a few other suggestions for them that won't leave someone's private property defaced.

Do I want to know? ;-)

**SyGolden48236** · July-06-14, 10:21 AM

These three young women should be ashamed of themselves for the disgrace that they have brought upon their families and their community. And they definitely should receive some sort of punishment beyond what they are most certainly getting at home.

But Dan Gilbert needs to temper his moral outrage and cut back on the name calling and remember that he himself had a far more serious "youthful indiscretion" while he was the same age as these girls.

http://realneo.us/content/truth-abou...mbling-charges

**Scottathew** · July-07-14, 07:42 AM

We shouldn't have outrage about vandals in Detroit because a Detroit businessman ran an illegal gambling ring 2-3 decades ago........

**SyGolden48236** · July-07-14, 05:40 PM

Originally Posted by 48307

We shouldn't have outrage about vandals in Detroit because a Detroit businessman ran an illegal gambling ring 2-3 decades ago........

I never said you should not "have outrage". But for Dan to call these young women degenerates was a little much. His youthful crime caused far more damage than a little spray paint in an alley.

No, these girls should not be given a pass for their behavior They should be properly punished by the legal system in addition to the sanctions they are receiving at home. They should receive the same punishment that youngsters from the ghetto would receive for the same crime.

**Detroitnerd** · July-07-14, 06:07 PM

Originally Posted by MikeyinBrooklyn

Are the poor paying income taxes and current on their property taxes?

Yes they are. Or the county will take the homes within a few years. So there you go. The rest of your statement is based on a bit of ignorant guessing based on a prejudice that poor people don't pay their taxes. Sorry.

When governments give tax breaks to one person, the other people have to effectively make up the difference with their tax dollars. Again, we're becoming a society with two sets of rules: One for the rich, another for the poor. Danny Boy gets it all: Low taxes, the best of services, it's always Christmastime for the capitalists.

What do the poor get? Promises that eventually, all this investment downtown will trickle down to "the neighborhoods." It was bullshit in the 1980s and it's still bullshit today. Please don't try peddling it to me.

**Scottathew** · July-07-14, 07:23 PM

Originally Posted by SyGolden48236

I never said you should not "have outrage". But for Dan to call these young women degenerates was a little much. His youthful crime caused far more damage than a little spray paint in an alley.

Degenerate: an immoral or corrupt person

A vandal seems to meet that description. As to your assertions about Gilbert's past, I'm not as well informed and only know what you have at the link.

Fast-forward thirty years into the future and imagine someone vandalizing these young ladies' homes. Imagine if they have clean records over that thirty years. Are we going to tell them to STFU because they did something dumb 30 years previous and got punished?

They'd have every right to be upset.

At some point Detroit is going to need to stop siding with vandals [[these women) and people with warrants [[folks arrested on Belle Isle) and be happy that bad people are put in jail. I find it funny that people are actually defending these young ladies.

It's funny that folks get upset about these ladies being called "degenerates" when they spray-painted "fuck" and "bitch" onto a downtown building.

I think you ought to be more concerned about physically painting those words onto someone else's property than someone typing "degenerates" into an email.

**KJ5** · July-07-14, 11:54 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Yes they are. Or the county will take the homes within a few years. So there you go. The rest of your statement is based on a bit of ignorant guessing based on a prejudice that poor people don't pay their taxes. Sorry.

What do the poor get? Promises that eventually, all this investment downtown will trickle down to "the neighborhoods." It was bullshit in the 1980s and it's still bullshit today. Please don't try peddling it to me.

It's like Robin Williams said back when he was actually funny: trickle down economics means the poor are getting pissed on pretty heavily.

**animatedmartian** · July-15-14, 05:04 PM

The three girls were charged today. Malicious destruction of a building.

http://www.freep.com/article/2014071...ti-dan-gilbert

**Scottathew** · July-15-14, 06:35 PM

They thought they were so hip and cool when they were vandalizing Detroit. They didn't look so hip and cool frowning and crying on camera.

Shame on these kids. I hope they get an appropriate punishment. I think restitution, community service, a short probation, followed with expungement if they're clean through probation.

Punks can think twice before tagging up Detroit.

**TKshreve** · July-15-14, 10:32 PM

Phew - good thing we got them before they tagged up half the city. Oh wait...

**bailey** · July-16-14, 02:31 PM

Originally Posted by TKshreve

Phew - good thing we got them before they tagged up half the city. Oh wait...

Any punishment is a total miscarriage of justice as this was just street art that enhanced the neighborhood and no owner of any building should complain about artists who are just being artistic.

**detroittrader** · July-16-14, 03:45 PM

Now that these little lady fish are caught, the authorities or a vigilante like Dan Gilbert have time to go after "GASM'. If these ladies get a day in jail this person ought to get the full 5 years.

**Fulcanelli** · July-17-14, 04:57 AM

I wonder if Elmer or Gasm ever decorated a Dan Gilbert building...

**mikeg19** · July-17-14, 07:29 AM

I'm kinda shocked by some of the responses in this thread. Throw the book at them. Prosecute beyond the fullest extent of the law. I guess everyone on here is a Saint and never had a beer before they were 21 or did anything wrong. Ever.

So three teenage girls thought they were hot shit because they were in Detroit and decided to spray paint on a building. Wrong, bad decision? Yes. Should they be punished? No doubt. But is the point to take three first time offenders, never in trouble with any type of law enforcement, from all accounts good students and coming from good homes, and make an example out of them? Why? Do you really think that it will deter people from tagging buildings? Last time I checked, 25-life didn't stop people from murdering other people. Throwing the book at these three girls is over the top. You'd literally be ruining their futures at a young age with a felony on their record. Don't most people preach reform?

I say heavy on restitution and A LOT of community service to be performed in the city. That's a lesson they will not forget.

**Fulcanelli** · July-17-14, 07:49 AM

These girls should get some credit for even finding an open route out of GP into Detroit.

**Spartan** · July-17-14, 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by mikeg19

I'm kinda shocked by some of the responses in this thread. Throw the book at them. Prosecute beyond the fullest extent of the law. I guess everyone on here is a Saint and never had a beer before they were 21 or did anything wrong. Ever.

So three teenage girls thought they were hot shit because they were in Detroit and decided to spray paint on a building. Wrong, bad decision? Yes. Should they be punished? No doubt. But is the point to take three first time offenders, never in trouble with any type of law enforcement, from all accounts good students and coming from good homes, and make an example out of them? Why? Do you really think that it will deter people from tagging buildings? Last time I checked, 25-life didn't stop people from murdering other people. Throwing the book at these three girls is over the top. You'd literally be ruining their futures at a young age with a felony on their record. Don't most people preach reform?

I say heavy on restitution and A LOT of community service to be performed in the city. That's a lesson they will not forget.

I think they should be plead down to a misdemeanor, with chance for expulsion following a clean probationary period. Decent amount of customer service, ideally cleaning up the city. No reason to ruin someone's life over something relatively minor in the long run. Instead, turn it into something positive.